Cate Blanchett takes one of five covers for Empire magazine‘s December 2012 issue, available on Empire U.S for the iPad, offering a first look at The Hobbit: An Expected Journey.

The 43-year-old actress is pictured as her character Galadriel while the other covers feature Ian McKellan as Gandalf, Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins, Richard Armitage as Thorin, and everyone’s favorite Gollum!

“I think it was just getting to spend some time in close proximity to Ian McKellen. I’m smitten… Maybe in some different universe we’re blissfully happy together,” Cate said of her favorite experience filming the flick.

“I have less baby fat and my face is slightly more angular. But once I’d put the wig, the feet and the clothing on again and took a photo of myself on my iPhone and looked at it, it blew my mind how much I still resembled Frodo,” Elijah Wood said of playing Frodo at 30.

Make sure to visit EmpireOnline.com for more on The Hobbit: An Expected Journey!